Mankind may have unleashed the sixth known mass extinction in Earth's history, according to a paper released by the science journal Nature.

Over the past 540 million years, five mega-wipeouts of species have occurred through naturally-induced events.

But the new threat is man-made, inflicted by habitation loss, over-hunting, over-fishing, the spread of germs and viruses and introduced species, and by climate change caused by fossil-fuel greenhouse gases, says the study.

Evidence from fossils suggests that in the "Big Five" extinctions, at least 75 percent of all animal species were destroyed.

Palaeobiologists at the University of California at Berkeley looked at the state of biodiversity today, using the world's mammal species as a barometer.

Until mankind's big expansion some 500 years ago, mammal extinctions were very rare: on average, just two species died out every million years.

I can think of at least 10 mammal species that have gone extinct in the last 10,000 to 50,000 years... So I'm not sure where the hell they got that benchmark from.

Atleast the author of the study admits that it's a pretty weak one.

fettpett

03-05-2011, 10:07 AM

what the hell do we expect from University of California at Berkeley. I feel bad for the people of CA having to fund the bullshit that comes from that "University"

I can't think of more than maybe a dozen or 2 species that have gone extinct in the last 500 years as a direct result from humans. HARDLY 75% of all species on the planet

NJCardFan

03-05-2011, 10:42 AM

Aside from carrier pigeons, the dodo, and the great auk, I really can't think of any. These people are beyond sad. The other 'mass extinctions' were due to some catastrophic event like the asteroid that hit the earth that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs. Oh, and it isn't like the asteroid hit and the dinosaurs died the next day either. Took a while, you know?

Wei Wu Wei

03-05-2011, 10:49 AM

what the hell do we expect from University of California at Berkeley. I feel bad for the people of CA having to fund the bullshit that comes from that "University"

I can't think of more than maybe a dozen or 2 species that have gone extinct in the last 500 years as a direct result from humans. HARDLY 75% of all species on the planet

lol way to not get it

fettpett

03-05-2011, 10:52 AM

http://roboconsumer.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/extinct-mammals/

about 140 in the last 500 years...hardly an amount that warrants a definition of "mass extinction event"

fettpett

03-05-2011, 10:57 AM

lol way to not get it

no, i get their bullshit. they are trying to say that Humans will cause the destruction of 75% of all life on the planet, when it's not accurate at all.

in 500 years there have been 140 known animals to go extinct (and even some of those have proven false), thats roughly one every 3.6 years.

Not arguing against conservation, just an arguing that Humans are NOT causing a world wide depletion in animals.

Rockntractor

03-05-2011, 12:28 PM

lol way to not get it

We thought commie's were doomed for extinction after 1989 but boy were we wrong!

Wei Wu Wei

03-05-2011, 12:45 PM

http://roboconsumer.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/extinct-mammals/

about 140 in the last 500 years...hardly an amount that warrants a definition of "mass extinction event"

well these events take place over thousands or millions of years , it's not a sudden flash and they're all dead

idk if that means it's because of humans but i'm sure humans play a part. humans are part of nature too so idk why people think that we cannot influence the ecosystem. if moss and algea can change the atmosphere i'm sure humans burning millions and millions of gallons of fossil fuels can have an effect too.

PoliCon

03-05-2011, 01:26 PM

well these events take place over thousands or millions of years , it's not a sudden flash and they're all dead

idk if that means it's because of humans but i'm sure humans play a part. humans are part of nature too so idk why people think that we cannot influence the ecosystem. if moss and algea can change the atmosphere i'm sure humans burning millions and millions of gallons of fossil fuels can have an effect too.

yea! and carbon-dioxide is a pollutant!!!:rolleyes:

fettpett

03-05-2011, 03:53 PM

well these events take place over thousands or millions of years , it's not a sudden flash and they're all dead

idk if that means it's because of humans but i'm sure humans play a part. humans are part of nature too so idk why people think that we cannot influence the ecosystem. if moss and algea can change the atmosphere i'm sure humans burning millions and millions of gallons of fossil fuels can have an effect too.

They are talking about Mass Extinctions, which are sudden die offs, which they usually attribute to something like a asteroid, they aren't events that happened slowly which evolution would say that the animals could adapt to. They are claiming that the amount of CO2 being dumped into the atmosphere over the last 150 years is enough to acidify the oceans to the point where it'll kill us all.

I never said we haven't had an effect. What I said was that we are NOT causing a Mass Extinction event. 140 different speices in 500 years and I doubt if you go through the list on the site I posted, that half of them were results of direct human involvement like the Dodo or Carrier Pigeon.

Lanie

03-05-2011, 04:08 PM

I've heard that there are species dying out every day. And no, I don't remember where I've heard that.

It really wouldn't kill us to treat the earth better. I'm not saying to put environmentalism before everything else, but we need to make sure that we have a comfortable home.

PoliCon

03-05-2011, 04:30 PM

http://roboconsumer.wordpress.com/2007/09/23/extinct-mammals/

about 140 in the last 500 years...hardly an amount that warrants a definition of "mass extinction event"

wow. a list of RODENTS. :rolleyes: I'm supposed to get worked up about this or that RAT becoming extinct?? :confused:

fettpett

03-05-2011, 05:02 PM

wow. a list of RODENTS. :rolleyes: I'm supposed to get worked up about this or that RAT becoming extinct?? :confused:

hey hey, don't forget the Nesophontes that are on the list now...they are Shrews :eek:

PoliCon

03-05-2011, 05:05 PM

hey hey, don't forget the Nesophontes that are on the list now...they are Shrews :eek:

I thought the left was all about evolution - why is it that they constantly ignore one of the key tenants of that theory?

fettpett

03-05-2011, 05:14 PM

I thought the left was all about evolution - why is it that they constantly ignore one of the key tenants of that theory?

idk....extinction happens...but they just want to blame humans for something...it's some stupid guilt complex about not being an animal

PoliCon

03-05-2011, 05:27 PM

idk....extinction happens...but they just want to blame humans for something...it's some stupid guilt complex about not being an animal

If they feel so guilty about living - they should do the honourable thing then and end their own miserable lives.

Rockntractor

03-05-2011, 05:38 PM

I've heard that there are species dying out every day. And no, I don't remember where I've heard that.

It really wouldn't kill us to treat the earth better. I'm not saying to put environmentalism before everything else, but we need to make sure that we have a comfortable home.

Liberals expel more carbon dioxide, I don't remember where I read this but no matter since we love the planet and it's our home, liberals should be cut back 43.5 %.

fettpett

03-05-2011, 06:10 PM

Liberals expel more carbon dioxide, I don't remember where I read this but no matter since we love the planet and it's our home, liberals should be cut back 43.5 %.

great idea!! all liberals should cut their breathing in 1/2 and it'll solve the worlds CO2 out put "problem":D

Gingersnap

03-05-2011, 09:26 PM

Mass extinctions are different from individual extinctions. The reason large numbers of mammals aren't numbered among the casualties of some previous mass extinction events is because mammals didn't exist.

Human beings have directly caused the extinction of some large mammals but megafauna extinction events have proceeded nicely with no help from humans or climate change.

Sometimes animals become too specialized to survive. Their food supply is too narrow, their range is too restricted, or their baby-making ability degrades. Sometimes they can't adapt to predators that develop new ranges or new skills. Sometimes they succumb to genetic bottlenecks.

While I'm all for conservation and stewardship, I think it's laughable to disregard the fact that in the big scheme of things, we are the top predator on this rock. Human beings aren't herbivores. We aren't adapted to fruit-eating. We can eat grain if it's processed but we don't need it. Like carnivores, we only require the right mix of protein and fats to thrive.

The fact that we can be omnivores and aren't too specialized just makes us better predators. Predators with a bit of a social conscience which is more than any other predators here have. ;)